A drama about immigration. Nazneem (Tannishtha Chatterjee) goes as a young bride from the Bangladeshi village where she grew up with her sister, to marry a countryman in Britain. Her older husband, Chanu, an 'educated man', turns out to be a self-important clerk, but Nazneem bears him a son and two daughters.

Screenwriter Laura Jones and first-time director Sarah Gavron have crunched most of the events of Monica Ali's fine novel, about an immigrant Muslim woman finding her own autonomy, into a single year, taking place just before and after the events of 9/11. It's a time when Nazneem begins an affair with Karim, a young man who delivers her piecework, and then must make a choice as the Muslim community is radicalised.

The politics, and the depiction of the husband are handled very well. Chanu is pompous and self-deluding but not a figure of fun. He is played with dignity by Indian comic actor Satish Kausik. Tanishtha Chatterjee as Nazneem is fascinating to watch: she's passively beautiful, but she glows onscreen. The adaptation suffers, I think, in focusing so much on the romance between Nazneem and Karim that the depth of Nazneem's own bravery -- in taking those first small steps to autonomy, in even leaving the apartment in Brick Lane to cross the road and sit in a park -- are neglected. But the soft focus romance turns to something far more satisfying as events unfold. Recommended.